Using Korean: A guide to contemporary usage

337 Pages·2008·3.33 MB·English

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Using Korean
This is a guide to Korean language usage for students who have already
acquired the basics of the language. Unlike a conventional grammar, it
highlights those areas of vocabulary and grammar which cause the most
difficulty to English speakers. Clear, readable and easy to consult, it is
essential for all those who wish to take their Korean beyond the beginner’s
level.
ideal for those who wish to extend their knowledge of Korean and
organize accumulated bits of information into a comprehensive picture
designed to promote the fluency and accuracy vital to effective
communication
focuses on the appropriateness of different language styles
provides excellent coverage of proverbs, idioms, and sound symbolism
offers up-to-date guidance on points of grammar and vocabulary
tailored to the needs of the English-speaking user
MIHO CHOO is Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of
Linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
HYE-YOUNG KWAK is based in the Department of Linguistics at the
University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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Using Korean
A guide to contemporary usage
MIHO CHOO
with
HYE-YOUNG KWAK
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521667883
© Miho Choo and Hye-Young Kwak 2008
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2008
ISBN-13 978-0-511-39896-4 eBook (EBL)
ISBN-13 978-0-521-66788-3 paperback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls
for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Contents

Acknowledgements ix

Style and usage 1
1 Sentence endings 3
1.1 Statements and questions 3
1.2 What about commands? 7
1.3 What about proposals? 8
1.4 Speech samples 9
1.5 When it comes to writing 11
1.6 Writing samples 13
1.7 A few minor styles 15

2 Honorifics 17
2.1 Subject honorification: the suffix -㔲 17
2.2 Object honorification 26
2.3 Honorific nouns 29
2.4 Honorific particles 30
2.5 Use of honorifics in several basic expressions 30
2.6 Non-use of honorific expressions in impersonal language 31

3 Address terms and pronouns 32
3.1 Address terms (䢎䃃) 32
3.2 Pronouns and related words 37

4 Language for daily situations 46
4.1 Greetings 46
4.2 Leave-taking 47
4.3 Expressing and responding to gratitude 48
4.4 Apologies and regrets 50
4.5 ‘Excuse me but…’ 51
4.6 Expressing condolences and encouragement 52
4.7 Extending an invitation or making an offer 53
4.8 Telephone expressions 53
4.9 Congratulations and good wishes 55
vi CONTENTS
5 Conversational bridges 56
5.1 Fillers 56
5.2 Transition expressions 58
5.3 Interjections 64

6 Softening strategies 67
6.1 Use of questions in place of commands and proposals 67
6.2 Softening with the help of special verbs 68
6.3 Softening with the help of special endings 71
6.4 Other softening strategies 73

7 Local dialects 75
7.1 Ch’ungch’ǂng dialect 75
7.2 Chǂlla dialect 75
7.3 Kyǂngsang dialect 76
7.4 Cheju dialect 77
7.5 Hamgyǂng dialect 77
7.6 P’yǂng’an dialect 77

8 Written versus spoken language 78
8.1 Grammatical differences 78
8.2 Vocabulary differences 79
8.3 Spelling/pronunciation differences 80

Vocabulary 83
9 Native and borrowed words 85
9.1 Native Korean and Sino-Korean words 85
9.2 Loan words 89

10 Word formation 93
10.1 Compounding 93
10.2 Reduplication 95
10.3 Prefixation 96
10.4 Suffixation 100
10.5 Abbreviations 115
10.6 Some recently created expressions 117

11 Some vocabulary contrasts 119
11.1 Verbs of wearing 119
11.2 Verbs of taking off 122
11.3 Verbs of playing 123
11.4 Verbs of cleaning 124
CONTENTS vii
12 Proverbs and idioms 126
12.1 Proverbs 126
12.2 Idioms 136

13 Sound symbolism 150
13.1 How sound symbolism works 150
13.2 Onomatopoeia (㦮㎇㠊) 152
13.3 Mimetic expressions (㦮䌲㠊) 157
13.4 Expressions denoting feeling and touch (㦮㩫㠊) 163

14 Numbers 166
14.1 Native Korean numbers 166
14.2 Sino-Korean numbers 167
14.3 Native versus Sino-Korean numbers 169
14.4 Expressions of quantity 178

Grammar 181
15 Verb types 183
15.1 Action verbs versus descriptive verbs 183
15.2 Intransitive verbs versus transitive verbs 185
15.3 Special sub-types of intransitive verbs 188
15.4 Special sub-types of transitive verbs 194

16 Tense and aspect 199
16.1 Tense and aspect on sentence-final verbs 199
16.2 Tense and aspect on non-final verbs 211
16.3 More aspect-related contrasts 214

17 Modality 219
17.1 Requests, suggestions, permission, and prohibition 219
17.2 Obligation, ability, and possibility 222
17.3 Regret, desire, and doubt 224
17.4 Degree 225
17.5 Evidentiality 226
17.6 Special verb-endings expressing the speaker’s attitude 230

18 Negation 233
18.1 How to negate statements and questions 233
18.2 How to negate commands and proposals 236
18.3 Negative form, but positive meaning 237
18.4 Expressions that require negative verbs 238
viii CONTENTS
19 Particles 240
19.1 Omission of particles 240
19.2 -㧊/Ṗ 241
19.3 -㦖/⓪ 243
19.4 -㦚/⯒ 246
19.5 -☚ 248
19.6 -㦮 249
19.7 -㠦 250
19.8 -㠦㍲ 253
19.9 -㠦Ợ(㍲)/䞲䎢(㍲) 254
19.10 -(㦒)⪲ 255
19.11 -㢖/ὒ, -䞮ἶ, and -(㧊)⧧ 258
19.12 -Ⱒ, -㈦, and -⹬㠦 260
19.13 -⿖䎆 262
19.14 -₢㰖 263
19.15 -㫆㹾 and -Ⱎ㩖 264
19.16 -(㧊)⋮ 265
19.17 Miscellaneous other particles 266

20 Comparison 269
20.1 How to express equality and similarity 269
20.2 How to express differences 273
20.3 How to express superlatives 274
20.4 How to express proportions and gradation 275

21 Conjunctives 276
21.1 Combination of equal-status clauses 276
21.2 Combination of unequal-status clauses 279

22 Complex sentences 299
22.1 Quoted/reported clauses 299
22.2 Adnominal clauses 308
22.3 -㰖 clauses 312
22.4 Nominalization 315

English index 318
Korean index 321